The album, which features Joe Smooth, Jacques X Gregory and more, marks the label's first vinyl release in over a decade. Chicago house label Trax Records has released a 40th-anniversary compilation. Titled RISING AGAIN, the six-track album was executive produced by Pi Rho, and features contributions from Joe Smooth, Jacques x Gregory, Spada, [...]
In '90s New York, a new generation of clubbers grew enraptured by Latin house's vibrant rhythms. The decade set the gold standard for the sound—and Louie Vega is its enduring leader. The Nuyorican icon traces its essential records. "Latin house," Louie Vega enthused over the phone. "This is the sound of our roots." [...]
The hottest screenwriter in Hollywood is some guy named “Shakespeare” and the hottest house tracks of 2025 were made in 1996. DJ Romain’s “The Lost D.A.T.S.” series evokes a time when Times Square was dirty and nightlife was a freaky wonderland. The series from Hard Times enters its second volume with four new unreleased [...]
Created on a simple studio set-up, ‘Promised Land’ is an early Chicago house gem, pop hit, dancefloor unifier, liberation anthem, and timeless classic that has stood the test of time. Carl Loben caught up with the song’s creator Joe Smooth at ARC Festival in Chicago to discuss how he made it, its extraordinary history, [...]
David Morales shares the story behind his dance anthem, 'Needin' U' In an exclusive interview with DJ Mag, David Morales shares the story behind his dance anthem, 'Needin' U'. Morales reflects on the origins of his career, from DJing at the Paradise Garage to remixing Whitney Houston at just 25 years old. Morales explains [...]
The festival's fifth edition happens August 29-31 at Chicago's Union Park. Chicago’s ARC Music Festival has announced a sprawling 2025 lineup featuring nearly 100 artists. The fifth edition of the house-focused festival will feature performances by Jamie xx, Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer, Richie Hawtin, John Summit, Luciano, Fisher, Blond:ish, Eric Prydz (who will play [...]
To celebrate 40 years of house music, we joined Mike Dunn at Chicago's ARC Music Festival and dived into the story behind his house anthem, ‘God Made Me Phunky’ https://youtu.be/-c9T7vWJN0Q?si=B_gRK_48gkSekpmz Mike Dunn shares the story behind the making of his house classic, 'God Made Me Phunky'. Released in 1994, Dunn explains how the track [...]
Traxman started to make music with the simple aim of making people dance and have a good time. That hasn’t changed, but since he started out in the '80s, Corky Strong’s masterful productions and DJ sets have marked him out as a house music great. He has been at the forefront of three different [...]
House, Techno, & the 80s: How black culture birthed the EDM era [Part One] Anybody who’s been in involved in dance music for the last ten years or so could easily list off some of the biggest producers in the scene: Avicii, Skrillex, Swedish House Mafia, deadmau5, or Calvin Harris, to name a few. While the influence these major [...]
It’s time for sonic reparations “Let me tell you something about house music. It’s not just a groove; house is a feeling…” *This article was originally published on September 2, 2016 So goes “The Word” — a classic a cappella by Chicago producer Aaron-Carl Ragland, since sampled on countless white label records played in club [...]